Chapter 12 It Was Hell

"Pretty good name, right? I thought long and hard before I came up with it!" Hubert was exceptionally enthusiastic, proudly showing off his couplets and plaque. But Monkey had an unsettling feeling creeping into his heart. "'Daring to Treat Any Illness in the World'..." Monkey muttered to himself. Hubert nodded naturally. "Exactly, as a skilled doctor, the worst thing you can do is hesitate or hold back, which would waste the best time to treat the patient! So, it's 'dare to treat,' not 'able to treat.'" Monkey had a sudden realization. "What if you can't cure it?" "Then I snatch lives back from the road to the Underworld! I even wrote that! It's just that I haven't been successful yet. I tried using defibrillation like on TV, but every time, it's been a failure." Hubert said this with a regretful expression, then looked at Monkey with an expectant gaze. In that instant, Monkey felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. It was as though the place before him wasn't just a normal clinic, but a gateway to hell. The fear reached its peak the moment Hubert pushed open the door. Blood! Blood was everywhere! But because too much time had passed, the blood had dried, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench. On the walls, the floor tiles, the operating table... dried blood covered everything. Monkey immediately regretted his previous thought. This wasn't a place resembling hell. It was hell! "Ugh, has my cleaner not come lately? Could he have gone to see a doctor again? I'm the one who's supposed to be the doctor!" Hubert muttered in apparent dissatisfaction. Especially when he smelled the scent inside the clinic, he stopped right at the door and looked at Monkey with a hopeful expression. "Can you clean?" Monkey shuddered and quickly shook his head. "Oh." When he heard Hubert's disappointed "Oh," a chill ran down his spine, and Monkey immediately nodded frantically. If his memory was correct, every time Hubert said "Oh," it meant someone was about to be killed! "I can! "I'm a bit of a clean freak! I love cleaning the room!" Seeing Hubert's disappointment turn into visible joy, Monkey braced himself, gritted his teeth, and rushed inside! Suppressing his discomfort, he diligently began cleaning every corner of the clinic. "Make sure to clean the operating table well! You'll need it later. Thank you for your hard work." Hearing Hubert's shout from outside the door, Monkey jolted in fear, nearly dropping the mop. If he hadn't misheard... The operating table... He was going to use it? Staring at the mottled bloodstains on it, his heart nearly stopped beating. "Maybe... maybe there just aren't enough beds, and he wants me to sleep here." "Yeah, that's gotta be it." Muttering to himself, Monkey pushed open a door, only to see a row of neatly arranged beds inside. He silently closed the door again. "If I fight back now... I'll die immediately." "If I work hard, I might live a little longer." "If I do a great job, I can apply for a cleaner position here and avoid death altogether!" Monkey seemed to have a natural talent for manipulating himself. Just when his emotions were about to spiral out of control, he always found a reason to calm down. After his little pep talk, he actually became more diligent, scrubbing every last trace of blood from the corners of the clinic! He was diligent and meticulous! In just half an hour, the entire place—except for the operating table—looked as good as new. He even thoughtfully sprayed some air freshener, making the clinic smell fresh and clean. "With my outstanding skills, maybe this guy will appreciate me! He just said his cleaner was missing! I'll become the new cleaner! And stay far away from the operating table!" With these thoughts in mind, Monkey's mood improved significantly. He even started scrubbing the bloodstains with extra enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Hubert had somehow dragged out a rocking chair, placed it at the clinic's entrance, and sprawled out on it. He swayed gently, basking in the sun with his eyes closed, looking as if he had fallen asleep. During this time, Monkey noticed something interesting. Anyone walking openly on this street carried an aura that was completely different from the people he used to associate with. Their indifferent gazes alone were scarier than his old boss. Then there was that burly man who just passed by—those muscles! He looked like he could string up his old boss and beat him like a punching bag. Even the old cleaner who had walked past earlier with a broom gave off an air of deep mystery. Yet, despite their obvious strength, all these people had the exact same reaction— When they reached the clinic's entrance and spotted Hubert, their first expression was surprised. Then, without hesitation, they subtly moved away before continuing on their way. It was as if there was an invisible wall around the clinic's entrance. And the source of that invisible wall was none other than Hubert—who had been missing for half a year, looked harmless, and was even napping. "If I stick with this guy, wouldn't I be a big shot in Black Street too?" Monkey muttered to himself, already daydreaming about his bright future. Until— "Hubert! You're finally back!" A voice full of excitement rang out! Monkey instinctively turned his head. A young boy, no more than thirteen or fourteen, stood before Hubert. He was clean-cut, wearing a baseball cap, and his eyes were filled with joy. "Yeah, Little Cleaner, you're back too, huh? What a coincidence." Hubert lazily cracked open his eyes and glanced at the boy, sounding half-asleep. Cleaner??? Cleaner!!! At that moment, everything else Hubert had said faded into oblivion. Only one word echoed in Monkey's mind like a thunderclap— cleaner. He had just found a purpose in life! He had just imagined himself rising to a position of power — second only to one, standing above thousands! And now, not even ten minutes later... You're telling me... My predecessor is back?! Monkey's entire worldview started to collapse. The boy flashed a bright, carefree smile. "I've been back for a while, but I couldn't find you! It was David who just told me you were back, so I rushed over." "Then why didn't you clean the place before?" Hubert asked, puzzled. The boy gave him a look full of grievance. "You locked the door... and never gave me a key." "Isn't Dog under the bridge good at picking locks?" Hubert pondered the question very seriously. The boy's mouth twitched. "He wouldn't dare touch your lock." "Well, you could've just bought a hammer and smashed it open!" Hubert argued stubbornly, sounding incredibly childish. The boy, undeterred, actually had the nerve to argue back. "Who on Black Street would dare lend me a hammer, knowing I was going to break into your place?" "You could've lied!" Hubert was still trying to win the debate. The boy shook his head firmly. "Lying is a bad habit." "..." Hubert seemed to accept defeat. He slumped back into the rocking chair and, after a long pause, mumbled, "Cripple from West Street would've lent you one." "He might lend it to me. But I wouldn't dare ask him. Besides, who just smashes doors open for no reason? That's extremely impolite. We shouldn't do things like that." The boy added, "You didn't do anything bad while you were out, right? Even if we live in the dark, we should still strive for kindness. Otherwise, one day, we'll become part of the darkness ourselves. And by then... we might not even recognize who we are anymore." "So we have to try our best—" The boy started nagging endlessly about morals and ethics. Meanwhile, the older Hubert sat obediently in the rocking chair, nodding along seriously. "I went out looking for work. But as soon as I got the job, my boss died. Then I found a car by the roadside and drove it back. Oh, and I saved a kindhearted person along the way. This kindhearted person was so grateful that he volunteered to contribute to my great experiment." Hubert continued, "See? He's even cleaning his own operating table with enthusiasm!" The most feared name on Black Street—the legendary Hubert—was now giving a completely straight-faced report of his day to the boy.